諺語 · a single proverb
人間正道是滄桑
Simplified: 人间正道是沧桑
What does 人間正道是滄桑 (rén jiān zhèng dào shì cāng sāng) mean?
人間正道是滄桑 (rén jiān zhèng dào shì cāng sāng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "the righteous way in the human world is vicissitude." In use it means: The true path of humanity is one of constant change and transformation; the right road runs through upheaval. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.
Literally: "the righteous way in the human world is vicissitude."
The reading
The road that is right does not run through comfort alone. Vicissitude-the rise and fall, the building and losing-is the actual texture of the forward path, and those who expected the right road to be smooth have confused rightness with ease. The same sea that becomes a mulberry field becomes a sea again. This is not failure but the righteous way.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Mao Zedong 毛澤東·《七律·人民解放軍占領南京》 (1949 poem)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 人間正道是滄桑 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 人間正道是滄桑 (rén jiān zhèng dào shì cāng sāng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Mao Zedong 毛澤東·《七律·人民解放軍占領南京》 (1949 poem). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 人間正道是滄桑?
In Mandarin it is rén jiān zhèng dào shì cāng sāng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 人間正道是滄桑 aloud in Mandarin.